


Grand Gesture

by tvnut



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-08
Updated: 2014-05-08
Packaged: 2018-01-24 00:47:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1585556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tvnut/pseuds/tvnut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a long day in the delivery room, all Mindy wants to do is go home, settle in front of the TV with a glass — okay, bottle — of wine in hand. Then she gets a text from Danny Castellano, who insists she meets him. What could Danny possibly have to say that couldn't wait until morning?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grand Gesture

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Something I wrote on Tumblr back in October 2013. Decided to finally post it here. I realize it's kind of irrelevant now after the season 2 finale. -wink-

It was after midnight when Mindy finished up her delivery. She had just finished changing in the locker room when her phone chimed underneath the pile of clothes sitting on a bench.

_Hey, are you busy?_

_It’s after midnight, Danny. My plans for tonight basically involve some wine and a classic rom-com I can fall asleep to._

_So you’re not busy, then._

Mindy let out an indignant huff. She began typing furiously on her phone. 

_Sorry, I’m not some socialite that constantly has plans-_  Before she could finish the message, her phone let out another chirp. 

_I’m gonna send you an address. Be there in 20 minutes._

Mindy erased the message she had started and instead wrote, … _Fine. This had better be good._ _  
_

She gathered her belongings and stuffed them into her bag. As she headed out the door she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the wall nearby. 

She paused. Her hair was in disarray. She yanked the ponytail out and tried smoothing it down. Too flat. She tried fluffing up the top. No luck. She sighed and tied it all back up again. What did it matter, it’s not like Danny would care anyway. 

——-

She was in the cab nearing the address Danny had texted her. It was close to Danny’s place, tucked amongst a bunch of Mom ‘n’ Pop businesses and restaurants. 

Mindy had visited the area before; she needed to buy a birthday present for Gwen and dragged Danny with her. She liked how friendly and familiar the storeowners were with the customers. She’d made like 10 Facebook friends that day. 

Mindy’s phone let out chirp as a text rolled in. It was from Danny.

_Where are you?_ it read. 

She smiled.  _I’m pulling up now. Will I know I’m in the right place?_

_…oh, you’ll know._

Amused at his nondescript answer, she looked out the window and her jaw dropped. 

As the vehicle pulled up to the curb, Mindy silently dug for her wallet in her bag and and handed some cash to her driver. 

"Whoa," the driver whistled. "Did you know about this?"

Mindy shook her head. 

"That’s some kind of surprise," he said. "You’d better get out there."

Mindy nodded. 

With both feet firmly planted on the sidewalk, she took it all in. 

It was the first Italian restaurant Danny had ever taken her to. Well, the second if you counted the pizza place he had brought her to on Valentine’s Day that one time. 

The restaurant was completely decked out. A bunch of little sparkling lights were wrapped around the iron gate that served as the perimeter of the patio. They were strung across the tops of the windows looking into the place, where it appeared to be completely empty. 

Except for Danny, who was outside leaning on the doorframe to the main entrance with his arms crossed. 

"Danny, this is gorgeous," she exclaimed. "What is this? Why is no one else here?"

"I convinced Charlie to keep the restaurant open a little longer so I could put these lights up," he said as he walked toward her. 

"You did all of this? Why?" 

"Min," he said. The inflection in his voice caused her to tear her eyes from the lights to find that he was already looking at her.

"There’s been something I’ve been wanting to say to you for a long time."

Danny took a breath.

"Mindy, we’ve known each other for awhile. I mean, we used to hate each other." He rubbed the stubble on his neck nervously. 

"What are you doing? What’s happening?" Mindy shifted to one side and gave him a once over. "You’re like, crazy sweaty. Although this is nothing compared to when you met Bruce Springsteen. I thought you were going to pass out from dehydration."

Danny ruffled his hair. 

"Remember that time when that FedEx guy came into the office and you were flirting with him? And while you were signing for the delivery I asked very loudly if you published your Fifty Shades of Grey fanfiction," Danny grinned. "And when you opened the box it was the complete box set of the series you had ordered. I mean, that was pretty funny."

"And I didn’t talk to you for a week after that," Mindy said. "Is there a point to this or are we just talking about random embarrassing moments because you’ve drunk dialled me so many times I-" _  
_

"I’m getting to it," Danny said. "What I was saying was, we’ve known each other for years. We didn’t like each other, and then you practically forced me to be your friend, you constantly meddled in my life-"

"We were  _friends_ , Danny, I couldn’t not help you with your problems. Friends help each other out-“ 

"Min, I’m trying to tell you something here."

”- and there was that time you inherited that horse from your weird third uncle, twice removed. Please, like you knew what you were going to do with a horse.”

Exasperated, Danny grabbed her arms, his hands gently gripping her elbows. “Mindy, please listen to me.”

She went silent. Danny stared at her. His gaze shifting from eye to eye. 

He sighed and dropped her arms. 

"Y’know, I had a whole speech planned and everything," he said resigned as he turned away. "I don’t like making a big deal out of things."

Puzzled, Mindy took a couple steps toward him. “Well, I was talking with your Mom last week and she mentioned you were a nervous kid. Which might also explain the sweating.”

He turned back toward her, “You spoke with  _Ma?_ Why?”

"She called the office wanting to speak with you and I heard Betsy say her name and instead of just letting her hang up the phone, I  _had_ to talk to her. Your birthday is coming up -“

"What did she tell you?" Danny cut her off. 

"Just that you hadn’t said you wanted anything specifically; only that she had a hunch you still secretly want a Lego Star Wars kit."

"Did she tell you about this?" Danny gestured to the lights twinkling around them.

"No, what-"

"She just kept  _asking_ when I was going to do it,” he muttered. “I mean it’s no Empire State Building…”

"Empire … State Building?" Mindy repeated softly. 

"Yeah it’s-," Danny let his shoulders drop. "All of this is kind of like a grand gesture."

 Mindy said nothing. 

"You’re always going on about these grand gestures and running through the rain, and that’s never been me, you know that," he paused. "And these past couple of years have been… I don’t even know what to call them." 

"All I know is that you make my life complicated."

Mindy crossed her arms and looked away. “Well, gee, Dan-“

"And I like it," he moved toward her. "I like that you eat pizza almost every day. I like that you sometimes steal Jeremy’s candy stash and keep it for yourself. I like that you’re messy. I like … you."

Mindy seemed angry.”Listen, you-” She stopped and met his gaze. 

Her bag hit the ground. The crooks of her arms settled on the nape of his neck. Their lips met and fought, as if both sides were settling an unspoken argument. 

They broke for air. “Why didn’t you ever tell me,” she said. 

"Well, with that parade of cheeseballs you had going, I didn’t think I was ever going to get the chance," he teased. 

Mindy unwound an arm to lightly punch him in the shoulder.

"Hey-" his protest was cut off as she kissed him once more. 


End file.
